"I'm all about making the game safer, but as a defensive player, I'm not a big fan of it. But I get it. I can speak for a lot of guys that play the game. We live and breathe [football]. This is what we're so passionate about. Literally, if I had a perfect place to die, I would die on the field. And that's not a lie. There's so much sacrifice that we go through as a team, and just connecting as one and winning ball games. There's nothing like playing the game of football. But again, I'm all about making the game safer."

While one could argue it's admirable to hear Adams, 21, say he'd prefer to die doing what he loves, dying on the football field would also mean dying young. There aren't any 75-year-old men playing in the NFL.

Goodell on Monday spoke extensively about the league doing things like embracing new helmets and creating head-targeting rules, in order to decrease the possibility of concussions. The NFL also has to alter the long-held tough-guy mentality of its own players.

After the fan forum, Goodell was asked about Adams' comment, during a brief media session.

"I think what he was really making the point of is how much he loves the game," Goodell said. "It's just something that means a great deal to him. I get the emotion of that."

Goodell was asked if it was uncomfortable for him when fans applauded Adams' comments.

"I think fans understood the emotion of what he was saying," Goodell said. "Which is: We love the game. I think they love the game. But I don't think anyone took it as directly as that."

Goodell also spoke about the need for a "culture change" with football's tough-guy mindset.

"It's what we've often referred to, for the last 10 years or so, as the culture change," he said. "Players now are doing a great job of raising their hand when they don't feel right [after taking a hit on the field]. Teammates are raising their hands, officials, coaches. We have backup plans with video [observation of hits].

"I think all of that is part of a culture change to say, 'It's great to be a hard-nosed player, but you play within the rules, and you also play as safely as possible.' I think that's something that has actually changed the way our game is being played."